Stanley Unwin (comedian) on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Unwin died at Danetre Hospital in
Obituary in ''The Guardian''
Video clip of Stanley Unwin on ''Parkinson''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Unwin, Stanley 1911 births 2002 deaths 20th-century British male actors 20th-century British writers Alumni of the Regent Street Polytechnic BBC people Deaths in the United Kingdom British comedy writers British male comedians British male film actors British male radio actors British male stage actors British male television actors British male voice actors People from Pretoria People from Congleton Constructed language creators People from Long Buckby 20th-century British comedians Suns of Arqa members
Stanley Unwin (7 June 1911 – 12 January 2002), sometimes billed as Professor Stanley Unwin, was a British
, and was assigned to the comic actor
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the olde ...
and writer.
He invented his own comic language, "Unwinese", referred to in the film ''Carry On Regardless
''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hands', run by Sid James's character, Bert Handy ...
'' (1961) as "gobbledygook
Gibberish, also called jibber-jabber or gobbledygook, is speech that is (or appears to be) nonsense. It may include speech sounds that are not actual words, pseudowords, or language games and specialized jargon that seems nonsensical to outside ...
". Unwinese was a corrupted form of English in which many of the words were altered in playful and humorous ways, as in its description of Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
and his contemporaries as being "wasp-waist and swivel-hippy". Unwin claimed that the inspiration came from his mother, who once told him that on the way home she had "falolloped (fallen) over" and "grazed her kneeclabbers".
Early life
Unwin's parents, Ivan Oswald Unwin (1880-1914) and his wife Jessie Elizabeth ( Brand; 1883-1968) emigrated from England to theUnion of South Africa
The Union of South Africa ( nl, Unie van Zuid-Afrika; af, Unie van Suid-Afrika; ) was the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It came into existence on 31 May 1910 with the unification of the Cape, Natal, Trans ...
in the early 1900s. Their son was born in Pretoria
Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the Executive (government), executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.
Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends ...
in 1911. Following his father's death in 1914, due to the family's poverty Unwin's mother arranged for the family to return to England. She worked as a cook at Bow Road
Bow Road is a thoroughfare in Bow, London, England. The road forms part of the A11, running from Aldgate to Norwich in Norfolk. To the west the road becomes Mile End Road, and to the east is Bow Interchange on the A12.
The College of Tec ...
police station. By 1919, Unwin had been sent to the National Children's Home
Action for Children (formerly National Children's Home) is a UK children's charity created to help vulnerable children & young people and their families in the UK. The charity has 7,000 staff and volunteers who operate over 475 services in the ...
in Congleton
Congleton is a town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England. The town is by the River Dane, south of Manchester and north of Stoke on Trent. At the 2011 Census, it had a population of 26,482.
Top ...
, Cheshire
Cheshire ( ) is a ceremonial and historic county in North West England, bordered by Wales to the west, Merseyside and Greater Manchester to the north, Derbyshire to the east, and Staffordshire and Shropshire to the south. Cheshire's county t ...
. In the late 1920s, he studied radio, television and languages at Regent Street Polytechnic
The University of Westminster is a public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first polytechnic to open in London. The Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in Aug ...
in London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
.
In 1937, he married Frances, with whom he had two daughters and a son. Unwin later stated that Unwinese had its roots in enlivening the bedtime stories that he used to tell his children. In 1940, he was given a job in transmitter maintenance for the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Borough Hill
Borough Hill is a hill to the east of the town of Daventry in the English county of Northamptonshire. It is over above sea level and dominates the surrounding area.
History
Borough Hill has a history of human habitation dating into prehist ...
transmitting station in Daventry
Daventry ( , historically ) is a market town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority in Northamptonshire, England, close to the border with Warwickshire. At the 2021 Census Daventry had a population of 28,123, making ...
. Unwin, Frances and their nine-month-old daughter, Marion, moved to Long Buckby
Long Buckby is a large village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. In 2020 the parish of Long Buckby, which includes the hamlet of Long Buckby Wharf, was estimated to have a population of 4,303.
Long Buckby is hill top village, l ...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by
two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
, where Unwin would reside for the rest of his life.
Comedy career
Unwin's early career and training introduced him to wireless and radio communication, and this, coupled with work in the BBC's War Reporting Unit from about 1944, ultimately proved to be his passage into the media. While based inBirmingham
Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
from 1947 to 1951, Unwin made his first, accidental, transmission. While testing equipment, he handed the microphone to broadcaster F.R. "Buck" Buckley, who ad-libbed
In music and other performing arts, the phrase (; from Latin for 'at one's pleasure' or 'as you desire'), often shortened to "ad lib" (as an adjective or adverb) or "ad-lib" (as a verb or noun), refers to various forms of improvisation.
The ...
a spoof commentary about an imaginary sport called "Fasche". Buckley
Buckley may refer to:
Businesses and organizations
* Buckley's, a Canadian pharmaceutical corporation
* Buckley Aircraft, an American aircraft manufacturer
* Buckley Broadcasting, an American broadcasting company
* Buckley School (California), ...
then encouraged Unwin to join in and introduced him as "Codlington Corthusite", handing back the microphonewhereupon Unwin continued in Unwinese. The recording was played back to two BBC producers, who added sound effects; it was eventually broadcast on Pat Dixon
Patrick Kenneth Macneile Dixon (15 June 1904 – 8 October 1958) was an English radio producer for BBC Radio.
Biography
Dixon was born on 15 June 1904; his parents were Professor William Macneile Dixon (1891–1946) and Edith (née Wal ...
's ''Mirror of the Month'' programme and, after receiving a positive response, culminated in another sketch in which Unwin, playing a man from Atlantis
Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas (mythology), Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus (dialogue), Timaeus'' and ''Critias (dialogue), Critias'' ...
, was interviewed about life in the sunken city. The broadcast produced Unwin's first fan mail, from Joyce Grenfell
Joyce Irene Grenfell OBE (''née'' Phipps; 10 February 1910 – 30 November 1979) was an English diseuse, singer, actress and writer. She was known for the songs and monologues she wrote and performed, at first in revues and later in her solo s ...
, who had been impressed by his performance. Since Grenfell was Unwin's heroine, the encouragement gave Unwin a boost and he was inspired to break into show business.
After the war, while in Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and recording a series of shows by Frankie Howerd
Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian.
Early life
Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...
, Unwin was pushed onto the stage and told to "do a turn" after the actor suddenly fell ill. Unwin's next major breakthrough came when producer Roy Speer introduced him to the comedian Ted Ray. Once Ray had heard Unwin talking, he said simply: "I want him in the series"namely, ''The Spice of Life'', co-starring June Whitfield
Dame June Rosemary Whitfield (11 November 1925 – 29 December 2018) was an English radio, television, and film actress.
Her big break was a lead in the radio comedy ''Take It from Here'', which aired on the BBC Light Programme in 1953. ...
and Kenneth Connor
Kenneth Connor, (6 June 1918 – 28 November 1993) was a British stage, film and broadcasting actor, who rose to national prominence with his appearances in the ''Carry On'' films.
Early life
Connor was born in Highbury, Islington, London, ...
. During the mid-1950s, Unwin performed in about a dozen shows for Speer and made the acquaintance of Johnnie Riscoe and his daughter, Patsy, who would become his managers for the rest of his career. By the end of the 1950s, Unwin had ventured into the film industry, being given a part in the Cardew Robinson
Douglas John Cardew Robinson (14 August 1917 – 28 December 1992) was a British comic, whose career was rooted in the music hall and Gang Shows.
Early life and career
Born in Goodmayes, Essex, Robinson was educated at Harrow County School f ...
film ''Fun at St. Fanny's
''Fun at St. Fanny's'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Fred Emney, Cardew Robinson and Vera Day. The film revolves around the teachers and students of St Fanny's private school, particularly the pupil Cardew t ...
'' (1956).
In 1968, Unwin was invited to narrate "Happiness Stan", a six song fairy tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
about a boy of the same name, taking up the entire side two of the Small Faces
Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band w ...
' album ''Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
''Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake'' is the third studio album, and only concept album by the English rock band Small Faces. Released on 24 May 1968, the LP peaked at number one on the UK Album Charts on 29 June, where it remained for a total of six we ...
'', which reached number 1 in the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.
In 1969, Unwin appeared in Gerry Anderson
Gerald Alexander Anderson (; 14 April 1929 – 26 December 2012) was an English television and film producer, director, writer and occasional voice artist. He remains famous for his futuristic television programmes, especially his 1960s produ ...
's "Supermarionation
Supermarionation (a portmanteau of the words "super", "marionette" and " animation")La Rivière 2009, p. 67. is a style of television and film production employed by British company AP Films (later Century 21 Productions) in its puppet T ...
" TV series ''The Secret Service
''The Secret Service'' is a 1969 British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, Century 21, for ITC Entertainment. It follows the exploits of Father Stanley Unwin, a pup ...
'', both in person and as the voice of the puppet character Father Stanley Unwin, whose appearance was based on him. Episodes typically comprised one or more scenes in which the character of Unwin would attempt to baffle opponents with his gobbledegook. When Lew Grade
Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...
, Anderson's financial backer and head of distributor ITC, was introduced to the Unwinese dialogue, he cancelled the production on the basis that he believed viewers would not understand what Unwin was saying, despite the fact that such confusion was intentional.
Though professionally retired in his later decades, Unwin still continued to make occasional appearances. In the 1970s, he appeared on ''The Max Bygraves
Walter William Bygraves (16 October 1922 – 31 August 2012), best known by the stage name Max Bygraves (adopted in honour of Max Miller), was an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, s ...
Show'' on ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
, sometimes speaking normally and sometimes in gobbledegook. In the final episode, Bygraves tested a number of gobbledegook phrases on Unwin, who claimed that he could not understand them. In 1985, Unwin recorded with Suns of Arqa
Suns of Arqa are a world music collective founded in 1979 by Michael Wadada. Since the group's formation, over 200 people from around the world have played and recorded with them, and in many cases these were like-minded musicians Wadada met ...
on their album ''Ark of the Arqans
''Ark of the Arkans'' is the fourth studio album by the band Suns of Arqa, released in 1985 by Scarface Records. The album was produced by Suns of Arqa founder Michael Wadada. The full title of the album is ''Suns of Arqa Vol 5 : Ark of the Arq ...
'', providing spoken word accompaniment in Unwinese on the first three tracks. In 1987, he recorded again with Suns of Arqa on their track "Erasmus Meets The Earthling", featured on their album ''Seven
7 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
7 or seven may also refer to:
* AD 7, the seventh year of the AD era
* 7 BC, the seventh year before the AD era
* The month of
July
Music Artists
* Seven (Swiss singer) (born 1978), a Swiss recording artist ...
'', and a remixed version of this track was released again in the 1990s. He appeared as himself in a hospital scene of Inside Victor Lewis-Smith
''Inside Victor Lewis-Smith'' is a British comedy sketch/sitcom series that ran on BBC2 from November to December 1993. It was co-written and presented by comedian and writer Victor Lewis-Smith. It ran for six episodes.
Premise
The series was ...
. In 1994, Unwin collaborated with British dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
act Wubble-U on their single "Petal"; on its re-release in 1998, the track ranked number 55 in the UK Chart. In 1998, Unwin made a cameo appearance in the Aardman Animations
Aardman Animations Limited (also known as Aardman Studios, simply Aardman or Aardman Animation and stylised as AARDMAN as of 2022) is a British animation studio based in Bristol, England. It is known for films made using stop-motion and clay an ...
series ''Rex the Runt
''Rex the Runt'' is a British live-action stop-motion animated claymation pixilation adult comedy series, primarily consisting of a television show and two short films produced by Aardman Animations for BBC Bristol in association with EVA Ente ...
'', as an accountant who speaks largely in fairly standard English, occasionally lapsing inexplicably into Unwinese.
Unwinese
Unwinese, also known as "Basic Engly Twenty Fido", was an ornamented and mangled form of English in which many of the words were deliberately corrupted in a playful and humorous manner, but which was still largely comprehensible to the listener. Unwin's performances could be hilarious yet disorientating, where the meaning and context were conveyed in a disguised and picturesque style. For example, in his talk on music, "Populode of the Musicolly", Unwin says: Unwinese has been compared toLewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (; 27 January 1832 – 14 January 1898), better known by his pen name Lewis Carroll, was an English author, poet and mathematician. His most notable works are ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865) and its sequel ...
's nonsense poetry, such as ''Jabberwocky
"Jabberwocky" is a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll about the killing of a creature named "the Jabberwock". It was included in his 1871 novel ''Through the Looking-Glass'', the sequel to ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865). The bo ...
'', where the sentences sound superficially like English when read aloud, but their precise meaning is unclear.
Selected works
*''Fun at St. Fanny's
''Fun at St. Fanny's'' is a 1955 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Fred Emney, Cardew Robinson and Vera Day. The film revolves around the teachers and students of St Fanny's private school, particularly the pupil Cardew t ...
'' (1955, film) as The Guide
*''Beyond Our Ken
''Beyond Our Ken'' is a BBC radio comedy programme first broadcast between 1958 and 1964. It starred Kenneth Horne, with Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, Betty Marsden, Bill Pertwee, and, as announcer, Douglas Smith. The title is a play on the ...
'' (1958, radio, cameo)
*''Rotatey Diskers with Unwin'' (1960, LP of Unwinese)
*''The Miscillian Manuscript'' (1961, travel journal in Unwinese, illustrated by Roy Dewar)
*''Inn for Trouble
''Inn for Trouble'' is a 1960 black and white British comedy film intended as a low budget filler to support a main feature in the days of cinema double features. it was a spin-off of the 1950s sitcom ''The Larkins'' - starring Peggy Mount, Davi ...
'' (1960, film) as Farmer
*''Carry On Regardless
''Carry On Regardless'' is a 1961 British comedy film, the fifth in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film revolves loosely around the activities of a job agency, 'Helping Hands', run by Sid James's character, Bert Handy ...
'' (1961, film) as Landlord
*''House & Garbidge'' (1962, book spoofing home and lifestyle magazines, with Dewar)
* India Autoways Advertisement (t.v./cinema) (1966) (car tyre manufacturer) with ''Raymond Baxter
Raymond Frederic Baxter OBE (25 January 1922 – 15 September 2006) was an English television presenter, commentator and writer. He is best known for being the first presenter of the BBC Television science programme ''Tomorrow's World'', con ...
''
*''Rock-a-Bye Babel and Two Fairly Tales'' (1966, book of spoof nursery rhymes and fairy tales, with Dewar)
*''Press for Time
''Press for Time'' is a 1966 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom. The screenplay was written by Eddie Leslie and Norman Wisdom, based on the 1963 novel ''Yea Yea Yea'', by Angus McGill. It was partly filmed in Teignmouth in Devon. It wa ...
'' (1966, film) as Mr. Nottage (Town Clerk)
*''Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake
''Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake'' is the third studio album, and only concept album by the English rock band Small Faces. Released on 24 May 1968, the LP peaked at number one on the UK Album Charts on 29 June, where it remained for a total of six we ...
'' (Small Faces
Small Faces were an English rock band from London, founded in 1965. The group originally consisted of Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones and Jimmy Winston, with Ian McLagan replacing Winston as the band's keyboardist in 1966. The band w ...
album, 1968, as Narrator of Side 2)
*''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
''Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'' is a 1968 musical-fantasy film directed by Ken Hughes with a screenplay co-written by Roald Dahl and Hughes, loosely based on Ian Fleming's novel '' Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car'' (1964). The film stars ...
'' (1968, film) as Chancellor of Vulgaria
*''The Secret Service
''The Secret Service'' is a 1969 British science fiction television series created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and filmed by their production company, Century 21, for ITC Entertainment. It follows the exploits of Father Stanley Unwin, a pup ...
'' (1969, TV series) as Father Stanley Unwin
*Pirelli
Pirelli & C. S.p.A. is a multinational tyre manufacturer based in Milan, Italy. The company, which has been listed on the Milan Stock Exchange since 1922, is the 6th-largest tyre manufacturer and is focused on the consumer production of tyre ...
Tyres TV advertisement (1980, featuring slogan "Outstandifold in the wetty grippers")
*'' The Laughing Prisoner (The Tube TV Special)'' (1987, TV, ''The Prisoner
''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...
'' parody)
*'' Just a Minute'' (1987, 1989; radio)
*''Shaun the Sheep Movie
''Shaun the Sheep Movie'' is a 2015 stop-motion animated adventure comedy film based on the 2007 British television series ''Shaun the Sheep'', created by Nick Park, in turn a spin-off of the ''Wallace and Gromit'' film, ''A Close Shave'' (1995). ...
'' (2015, archive footage)
Death and legacy
Unwin died at Danetre Hospital in Daventry
Daventry ( , historically ) is a market town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority in Northamptonshire, England, close to the border with Warwickshire. At the 2021 Census Daventry had a population of 28,123, making ...
on 12 January 2002. He is buried in the churchyard at Long Buckby
Long Buckby is a large village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, England. In 2020 the parish of Long Buckby, which includes the hamlet of Long Buckby Wharf, was estimated to have a population of 4,303.
Long Buckby is hill top village, l ...
, with Frances, who predeceased him in 1993. Their gravestone bears the epitaph, "Reunitey in the heavenly-bodeDeep Joy!".
A thanksgiving service was held at St Lawrence's Church in Long Buckby and ended with a rendering of "Bye Bye Blackbird
"Bye Bye Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by Jerome H. Remick and written by composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Sam Lanin's Dance Orchestra in March 1926.
Song in ...
" by John Percival and friends. The valediction
A valediction (Derivation (linguistics), derivation from Latin ''vale dicere'', "to say farewell"), or complimentary close in American English, is an expression used to say farewell, especially a word or phrase used to end a letter or message,
had been prepared by Unwin's family in his own style: "Goodly Byelode loyal peeploders! Now all gatherymost to amuse it and have a tilty elbow or a nice cuffle-oteedeeOh Yes!"
Suns of Arqa
Suns of Arqa are a world music collective founded in 1979 by Michael Wadada. Since the group's formation, over 200 people from around the world have played and recorded with them, and in many cases these were like-minded musicians Wadada met ...
released a tribute album to Unwin (entitled "Tributey") following his death, featuring a selection of his works with the band over the years, as well as various interviews.
Unwin's work is considered to have been a significant influence on the two books written by John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
: ''In His Own Write
''In His Own Write'' is a 1964 Literary nonsense, nonsense book by English musician John Lennon. His first book, it consists of poems and short stories ranging from eight lines to three pages, as well as illustrations.
After Lennon showed jo ...
'' (1964) and ''A Spaniard in the Works
''A Spaniard in the Works'' is a nonsense book by English musician John Lennon, first published on 24 June 1965. The book consists of nonsensical stories and drawings similar to the style of his previous book, 1964's ''In His Own Write''. The na ...
'' (1965).
References
Sources
*External links
* *Obituary in ''The Guardian''
Video clip of Stanley Unwin on ''Parkinson''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Unwin, Stanley 1911 births 2002 deaths 20th-century British male actors 20th-century British writers Alumni of the Regent Street Polytechnic BBC people Deaths in the United Kingdom British comedy writers British male comedians British male film actors British male radio actors British male stage actors British male television actors British male voice actors People from Pretoria People from Congleton Constructed language creators People from Long Buckby 20th-century British comedians Suns of Arqa members